Chapter Thirty – Lies, Deception and Destruction

Above the enclosed garden in a hidden valley on Earth a giant elderly eagle perched, watching the proceedings below while eating the juicy insect it had caught. Below him, an old warrior lifted his magnificent head and looked at the assembled group standing before him. A beautiful young woman was silhouetted by the sunlight that passed through her translucent white sari. His eyes followed the exquisite curves of her body up to her breathtaking face framed with honey blond hair that cascaded across her shoulders. She reminded him of his sister Auset when she had been the same age. Hor got to his feet and straightened his still magnificent frame. It had been seven hundred and fifty years since he had last taken up arms. Now he held the magnificent jewelled double-edged sword that Shu had gently placed in his large hands when…

Chapter Twenty-Nine – A Shaky Alliance

“Dear Vishna, you are well I hope.” Nagesh greeted the old man with a tender kiss as he was aided by eunuchs into a luxurious chair in the Dranaa’s private chambers.

The Grand Admiral breathed heavily from the exertion of walking through the palace, summoned by his emperor. “I am very well young Nagesh,” the old man said, waggling the ceremonial baton that was his badge of office at the degenerate Dranaa (whose extremely feminine features were adorned with intricate painted patterns in white) as if he were still the pretty young boy he had taken to his bed so many years before. “Why have you sent for me Naga?” he asked, using the pet name he gave Nagesh.

“I have a task which requires experience and cunning, my darling. The kind that only someone of your long years can accomplish,” Nagesh said, avoiding…

Part two of Onet’s Tale now begins

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Chapter Twenty-Eight – Janus Omega and Mutiny

In the four years since the escape to Kallorn, the war between the Drana Empire and the Alliance of Planets had raged back and forth across the galaxies. My kin made sure that neither side in the conflict was victorious; nothing short of total annihilation would satisfy my cousins’ evil plans. As the Alliance finally cleared one planetary system the Drana conquered yet another. In the endless bloody conflicts, borders were blurred beyond recognition. Nagesh had finally begun to follow the path of all previous Drana emperors, turning into a crazed effeminate fanatic, determined to expand the empire no matter the cost. The members of his court, on more than one occasion since his declaration of war, had attempted to assassinate him. Each time he stayed a step ahead, publicly accusing the would-be assassins of…

Chapter Twenty-Seven – Kalki

When they woke in the chilly early hours of dawn the next day, Shu was gone. “She must be in the cave in the cliffs,” Khan said, shouldering his sword and shield.

“Then we join her!” Apis insisted. They stopped at the edge of the cliffs looking down to see where the cave entrance was. The ground where they stood overhung the three thousand meter sheer drop to the pounding waves below. Seti and Akkad walked along the edge, looking for a way past the overhang to the entrance. Besal, Max, and Manesh tore up plants from the area behind the cliff and began making a crude rope from the material. Nusaan and Akhen surveyed the ground about them looking for any clue to Shu’s whereabouts.

“Look!” They all turned to where Shansur stood horrified, pointing at the ground in front of him. Smashed to pieces…

Chapter Twenty-six – Death of a Tyrant

With Max, Shansur, Manesh, and Akkad successfully transformed by the Krattu, Shu’s army of berserker warriors now numbered nine. On their return journey, Akkad told of Hoetep’s violent takeover of New Cydon. Both Akhen and Seti swore vengeance for their murdered loved ones, but Shu put all thoughts of retribution out of their minds as they steadily drew near to the community. To defeat Hoetep they had to stay focused, cool, and sharp witted. Despite their new-found strength, they were not equipped to deal with his magic. By now he would surely have turned the rest of the community into blindly obedient servants, willing to die for him if need be. No! Akhen and the rest must follow her commands to the letter. A mighty battle was about to begin and there could be only one winner.

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Hoetep sat on a rock…

Chapter Twenty-Five – Terror at New Cydon

A faint aroma drifted up toward where he stood in the shadows of the trees at the edge of the forest. The smell of hot food briefly recalled a long forgotten memory from the dark recesses of his malignant mind. He surveyed the small group of buildings and the people going about their tasks within the community. His left hand tightened its grip on the bird-headed staff. Its crystal glowed in anticipation as he twisted his head from side to side, searching for Khan’s mind in the midst of all the other thoughts that floated up to where he stood. His strong fingers flexed around the leather-covered hilt of the razor sharp double-edged sword in his right hand.

Iset froze in her tracks when the spine chilling animal cry echoed across the valley floor to where she stood. The whole community heard the…